Now comes word Shrieka will be playing guest editor at ESPN the Magazine and wants to (shocker!) focus on athlete fashion according to an email to staffers at the pub:

Folks,

Maria Sharapova is going to be the "Editor-in-Chief" of our Athletes Issue. She accepted this responsibility with great enthusiasm and would like, for an issue, to focus her efforts for the Magazine toward revamping the fashion-sense of America's favorite athletes. She has two ideas:

Why am I going on about this? Because we need to come up with some other things she can do in addition (or in place of) the above. Ideally, some of you have ideas that put to use her interest in style and applies it to our pages. I'd love to hear any and all thoughts on the matter. There are no stupid ideas. Please take a few minutes and ask yourself "If Maria Sharapova were my boss for a day, how could she make the magazine better?" And then send me what you come up with. By Wednesday, please.

Why am I thinking "Have Maria the boss lady showup in a bikini and stilettos cracking a whip...for staff morale of course." will be a big request at the lad mag? Crazy.

And speaking of crazy: Leonard Taylor, Jr., an ex-Wisconsin football player, has been charged with threatening his ex-coach Barry Alvarez, Shrieka, and her family. The 32-year old has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and reportedly left numerous profanity-laced messages for his coach that included references to the 21-year old baller:

Barry, you heard that (expletive) message, (expletive) it. I hate that (expletive) Maria Sharapova ... I just want to look at you one (expletive) last time before I pull the (expletive) trigger, Barry.

Creepster. I'm thinking he's the guy that leaves those insane posts on her forum - and there are more than a few.

And finally, Shrieka's supposed outfit for the defense of her Aussie Open title has been revealed. Why do I say "supposed"? Well, I think we all remember the Nikeswitch-a-roo the 3-time Grand Slammer and the sports brand pulled on fans, retailers, and bloggers alike last year. How annoying was that? Anyway, let's imagine what Shrieka would look like working the dress in question:

Eeks! So maybe it'll be the same dress but in another color (hopefully - this one will wash the fair-skinned baller out as will the white version) or maybe it'll be a completely different dress - who the hell knows. But I'll contact Nike and let you guys know what I find out.

I don't really get the Sharapova popularity. I think it's mostly hype. I don't get the sense that she is well liked. Every time I see her play the crowd is usually for the other person. I think her screaming/grunts and sometimes icy personality can be a turn off but there seems to be big people behind her pushing her image.

lisa: i'm sure straight men really love her because they think she's really hot - you know the whole tall, blonde, russian fantasy. I think gay men (ahem, like this one) like her for her love of fashion and the gossip/celebrity factor.

but i don't know many people, at least on DtL, who really love her purely for her tennis. personally, i don't find her game that interesting but i like her competitiveness. the shrieking can be over the top but doesn't bother me as much as some others. she's not the warmest baller in the bunch and can seem really aloof.

I like Maria, she has a nice game to watch if it's on that is, like during AO '08. I think she's different from all the other players, she isn't afraid to speak her mind. The whole Icy attitude she has is kinda funny..she's isn't mean or anything, not like serena who stares her opponents down but she comes off as very confident. And yeah sometimes she can come off like a total bitch but that's part of her charm..don't know if that makes any sense. If everyone on tour was giggly and lovely like Ana (nothing against her) it would be a total bore fest.

On the dress: I'm not liking the colors too much, but I have to see it on her first before I can say if I like it or not.

As far as her tennis is concerned, I think it's not really that brilliant or has that many varieties, but I'm with Rich on the competitiveness. She's so ambitious and she's a fighter. The shrieking annoys the crap outta me too though - it seems like such a mind game to me.

Sometimes it also scares me how icy she seems (esp. her cold gazes on court), but on the other hand some of her all cheery/funny/giggly interviews seem like such an act.

I think though she can be really sweet and I also feel kinda sorry for her, as she probably didn't have a very nice childhood due to super-dominant Sharapov dad (kinda reminds me of Steffi Graf) and sort of growing up without her mother. Maybe she's just a little shy girl inside that hides behind that glamazon extravaganza, who knows? LOL

As far as her tennis is concerned, I think it's not really that brilliant or has that many varieties, but I'm with Rich on the competitiveness. She's so ambitious and she's a fighter. The shrieking annoys the crap outta me too though - it seems like such a mind game to me.

Sometimes it also scares me how icy she seems (esp. her cold gazes on court), but on the other hand some of her all cheery/funny/giggly interviews seem like such an act.

I think though she can be really sweet and I also feel kinda sorry for her, as she probably didn't have a very nice childhood due to super-dominant Sharapov dad (kinda reminds me of Steffi Graf) and sort of growing up without her mother. Maybe she's just a little shy girl inside that hides behind that glamazon extravaganza, who knows? LOL

I think the reason i feel so indifferent to Maria is because of how manufactured her image and character seem. When Kournikova left, everyone was looking for the next blond Russian, and she fit the bill.She was going to be famous even if she had never won a slam.

She can obviously play and compete well but she's endlessly hyped by the commentators as the saviour of the WTA or something.

michelle: the WTA is populated by divas and b*tches that when ana came along it was a breath of fresh air for me. i'd say jankovic too but in a totally different manner (err, for the "drama" that she brings, heh).

like rich, i also love masha's competitiveness and determinantion. you gotta love the fashion sense too. her french open outfit this year is still one of my favorite outfits of all time. however, she doesn't play with much variety and her shrieking/grunting can be quite irritating. i'm so looking forward for a rivalry between her and ana to develop. it's kinda like seles vs. graf all over again because masha gets compared a lot to monica and ana to steffi.

Yeah you're right about Ana, I also like her but for different reasons. What I was trying to say was that you have to have different personalities to make it interesting, you don't necessarily have to like Maria. And I agree about the media over hyping her..but her winning titles did separate her from Kournikova and gave her more credibility.

I also love to see a rivalry between her and ana, or between her and Venus (did you see wimbly 05? that was pure entertainment haha).

I absolutely ADMIRE Maria Sharapova, on the highest level there is.She's transformed her enormous effort, sacrifice and willigness in great, I mean really impressive results, and oh boy that is really huge what she as a girl of 17 years did, and the way she keeps doing it till the day we speak.The busyines of her every day life from age 4,dedication and enormous heart and braveness makes her such an inspiration to me!I admire her for all the above, and for the great charachter she is, she is witty, one of the most intelligent players out there, and her knowledge goes far above just the game of tennis.She carries her good looks so well, with great ellegance and grace.Also, I just love her outlook on the world, cities, people..in her doodles, she doesn't seem stuck up or smth like that, at all!She talks like Maria Sharapova girl, not M.Sharapova celebrity, and to make it short she is one truly champion both on the court, as well as the outside of it, exceptional person, brave and dedicated!

tessa: i love the enthusiasm for shrieka. like i said, there are few who come close to her competitiveness and ambition. but she could do more, PR-wise, to soften her image a bit...if it matters to her that is.

VICKI - yes the tour needs all kinds of personalities including shrieka's!